Man United defeats Chelsea to reopen title race

Manchester United has reopened the Premier League title race with a well-orchestrated 2-0 win over Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Second-placed Tottenham now trails their London rivals by four points with six games to go and a stronger goal difference.

United has lost twice away against the Blues this season, first losing 4-0 in the league and then going out of the FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge.

But Manchester United began the game on the front foot and easily got a lead as team irregular Marcus Rashford made a clinical finish just after seven minutes.

Ander Herrera, who did a brilliant man-marking job on Eden Hazard throughout the game, made the perfectly weighted pass to Rashford on the break for the opening. The Spaniard subsequently added to United’s tally by firing it in from 20 yards four minutes after half-time, with the ball taking a deflection of N’Golo Kante and wrong-footing Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic before soaring into the net.

The result slumped Chelsea to two defeats in their past four games while Spurs continue as potential title contenders with seven consecutive league wins under their belt.

Blues coach Antonio Conte said he was the one responsible for the defeat as he had failed to get his team motivated ahead of the United game.

“We didn’t play a good game and United deserved to win the game,” Conte said. “They showed more desire, more ambition, more motivation.”

“In this case the fault is of the coach. It means the coach was not able to transfer the right concentration, desire, ambition to win this game. I have concern because we have to work together and find quickly the right ambition to win this title.”

“Tottenham is in good form and playing with enthusiasm, we must find the same.”